Environmental Degradation by Invasive Alien Plants in the Anthropocene: Challenges and Prospects for Sustainable Restoration

Biodiversity, soil, air, and water are the vital life-supporting systems of this planet Earth. However, deliberate accidental introduction invasive alien plants (IAPs) in Anthropocene majorly due to global international trade perturbed homeostasis our biosphere. IAPs considered as one major drivers biodiversity loss ecosystem degradation. The pervasive threats environmental sustainability biosecurity further exacerbated under COVID-19 pandemic. disturbances resulting from can be attributed several mechanisms/hypothesis (e.g., novel weapon (NW), enemy release (ER), evolution increased competitive ability (EICA), efficient reproductive attributes, phenotypic plasticity, etc.) deployed by IAPs. Nevertheless, interrelationship with degradation restoration remain elusive especially terms ecological sustainability. Moreover, there is a dearth studies which empirically assess synergies spread other anthropogenic such climate land-use change. In context, present review aimed depict impacts on environment also their role prospects targeted revitalize associated abiotic (soil water) biotic (biodiversity) discussed detail. Furthermore, effects socio-economy, livelihood, plant-soil microbe interactions emphasized. On hand, services bioresource co-benefits bioenergy, phytoremediation, biopolymers, ethnomedicines) sustainable management prospects. IAPs-ecological needs long-term pragmatic evaluation economics resilience. incorporation ‘hybrid technologies’, integrating modern scientific information ‘biorefinery’: conversion feedstock produce bioenergy/biopolymers) traditional knowledge (TEK) safeguard Anthropocene. Importantly, concert circular economy principles remarkably help achieving target UN Sustainable Development Goals UN-Decade Ecosystem Restoration.